re Rat and Mouse Cages?

[rodentrancher]

Hi, I think it was your Rat Cages that I was looking at? How do you go with stopping the Pinkies falling through the mesh please? Just asking, because we tried it, and the pinkie rats fell through the mesh and onto the poo tray? JUST WONDERING???

 

[lutzd]

Um... who you talking to, RR?

 

[Guest]

probly someone with large wire on the bottom of there rat cages

 

[africancichlidau]

Or small wire with large holes even

 

[Guest]

its probly u then africa

 

[lutzd]

It can be a problem. When I used to keep live rats, I lost a few pinkies this way. Unfortunately, if the holes are too small it defeats the purpose of having this sort of set up. The straw and muck clogs up the smaller holes and prevents droppings falling onto the poo tray! Catch 22!

I mostly resolved the issue by having the breeding box in the cage having a solid floor. That way, there's a little cleaning up to do, but it mostly resolves the issue. The problem starts when the mother moves the pinkies to a different location in the cage, perhaps to get them away from other rats for safety. This can be helped by creating a small bed of straw in the opposite corner of the cage, although you still may lose one or two. However, if you check the cages morning and night you can usually find the pinkies still alive and relocate them.

I always moved the mother and pinkies to a "nursing" cage (aquarium set up), as soon as I noticed them, until they are big enough to freeze.

Hope that helps.

 

[africancichlidau]

When I was using wire cages I moved the preggers females to breeding tubs before the birth. Problem solved.